As Bear Attacks Rise, Hokkaido Struggles to Balance Safety and Coexistence

On August 14, a man descending Mount Rausu in Shiretoko, Hokkaido — a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site — was attacked and killed by a bear. From April to August 2025, the number of bear incidents involving humans, including five fatalities, reached levels comparable to the record high of 69 incidents in FY2023.

Shinsuke Kasai, a former ranger with decades of experience working with bears, said, "We are at a crossroads in how humans coexist with bears."

Shiretoko's Bear Population

Shiretoko is known for its exceptionally high bear population. Around 500 brown bears live on the 70 km-long, 20 km-wide peninsula that spans the towns of Rausu and Shari. The area attracts about 1.5 million visitors annually, and encounters with bears in the wild are a major draw. However, the close proximity of bears and humans is becoming a growing concern.

"Fatal accidents didn't happen in Shiretoko for a long time because humans were able to prevent them, but just barely," said Kasai, who used to manage and study wildlife, including bears and deer, at the Shiretoko Nature Foundation.

Surge in Bear Encounters

In 2023, a large number of bears began appearing in areas inhabited by humans. Problematic bears were culled under the "nuisance capture" system to prevent harm.

"That year, no matter how many bears we culled, more kept appearing," Kasai recalled. "We would cull bears in the morning, but more appeared by noon and again in the evening."

Over 180 bears were culled that year. This was unusually high compared to the typical 30 bears and represented roughly one-third of Shiretoko's bear population.

Culling is carried out by foundation staff and hunters commissioned by local towns, but it is highly dangerous. Hunters can be injured or even killed if bears fight back.

"The more frequent the culls, the higher the risk," Kasai said. When the spring culling system was in place, lingering snow made tracking bears easier. Summer culls, when vegetation is thick, make tracking difficult and increase the risk of attacks.

Veteran Ranger Under Attack

Kasai himself was once attacked while practicing "stealth deer hunting," a method without dogs. A bear appeared 10 meters away in the bushes and struck him on the right arm.

Kasai said, "It wasn't just fear. It felt like driving a car and repeatedly hitting the brakes, but the car wouldn't stop no matter what I did. I couldn't understand what was happening."

When he fell and tried to get up, the bear charged again. He sprayed bear spray directly at the bear's face, causing it to turn and flee. Kasai survived with minor cuts, though his arm was severely swollen.

"The bear's claws weren't extremely sharp, so the bleeding was minimal," he said. "But the force of the blow was tremendous." Brown bears can strike with a force comparable to a speeding car.

The Risks of Culling

Kasai credited his ability to stay calm during the attack to his prior experience in culling operations involving as many as 100 bears. He emphasized that even carrying bear spray isn’t enough if you haven't practiced using it. He recalled a recent case when he was asked to support mountain survey workers. His client showed him a can of bear spray that had a band holding the safety lock in place.

"If the band isn't cut when you need to use it, you definitely won't make it in time," he said.

*Mount Rausu in Shiretoko, Hokkaido, where the hiker was attacked by a brown bear — August 14.*

Hunters, usually members of local hunting associations, are the primary personnel responsible for culling. They are commissioned by local governments and often take life-threatening risks by positioning themselves at the front of the team, ahead of the police. Yet their pay is relatively low.

"Sometimes it's even lower than a convenience store part-time wage," Kasai said. With aging membership, some regions can no longer form culling teams.

Hifumi Tsuruga, senior advisor at the Hokkaido Research Organization's Research Institute of Energy, Environment and Geology, commented, "It is concerning that local safety relies primarily on volunteer hunting association members. Normally, professionals handle these duties — police for crime, firefighters for fire. Hokkaido could benefit from a system of wildlife management officers like those in North America."

Food Shortages

Kasai warned that large bear sightings, like those seen two years ago, could occur nationwide and overwhelm certain regions. One major factor behind the surge was reduced food sources, such as salmon and acorns, caused by warmer temperatures.

Food shortages are expected again this year, which could push bears closer to human settlements. Incidents involving black bears on Honshu, Japan's main island, have also been on the rise.

Hokkaido previously abolished spring culling to allow bear populations to recover, shifting from culling to protection. Kasai argues that authorities may again need to increase culling.

"Early intervention is crucial," he said. "We need to step up from protection to culling — without overdoing it."

Protests Flood Town Office

Culling often attracts sensational coverage. After bears attacked a newspaper delivery worker in Fukushima Town in July and a climber in August, Hokkaido was flooded with protest calls and emails. The attacks led to the culling of a mother bear and her two cubs.

Following the Fukushima Town incident, officials received about 120 messages from July 12 to 24. After the Shiretoko incident, they received over 160 messages from August 14 to 21. Some calls lasted more than two hours, making it difficult for officials to work.

Opinions were mixed. Some people called for the bears to be captured and released back into the mountains, while others demanded they be exterminated. In 2024, the governor of Akita made headlines when he said he would respond to unreasonable protestors by retorting, "I'll send you a bear, so give me your address."

Local communities facing bears should have their decisions respected. With aging and declining populations, abandoned farmland is increasing. In a sense, nature is reclaiming space once occupied by humans. Managing bears effectively requires careful consideration as Japan faces this crossroads in human-bear coexistence.